What did Jesus mean when he said, “the one who stands firm until the end will be saved?” (Matthew 24:13). How does one reconcile this statement with John 3:16 where belief is conveyed as the impetus of salvation? These notions seemingly contradict each other and yet they are perfectly compatible when they are examined in context.
Scripture interprets scripture and when we begin to study the Word, we discover a profound truth that superficial observers fail to recognize. Understanding the context of a particular passage of scripture and its meaning within the full counsel of the Word is paramount to its application in our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-9 is often used to justify passive belief. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” The fulcrum of belief, then, is faith. But what do “belief” and “faith” actually mean within the context that they were written?
Is belief simply acknowledging the historicity of Jesus Christ and living with the same appreciation for him as other historic figures, such as Albert Einstein, Plato or Isaac Newton? Satan believes in Jesus, yet he is not saved. Demons believed in Jesus. They even recognized Him as the Son of God before any introduction (Matthew 8:28-33).
Authentic Belief
The Greek word used for belief is pisteuō which stems from the word pistis. The word pistis is derived from the word peithō, which means to persuade or to be persuaded. The word pisteuō implies deep trust and confidence. Trust is defined as: a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
So when we read John 3:16 with this in mind, it means to trust in Jesus and have confidence in Him. It means that you are willing to risk your eternal destiny based upon His promise. It means that you will take to heart what He said and taught, and live according to His teachings. It means surrendering to His lordship and being loyal to His sovereignty.
The disciples followed Jesus. They said they believed in him, yet when he was crucified, they scattered in fear and even denied Him. Judas betrayed Him. It wasn’t until Christ resurrected that they entered into a state of trusting Him completely and being willing to die for Him. Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29).
It is the comprehension of what it means to believe that reconciles faith and works. If faith without deeds is dead (James 2:17-26), then those who claim to believe in Christ, yet fail to exhibit evidence of being born again in the way they live are still dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1-10). We are saved with the intent of doing good works and this signifies that our salvation is authentic.
If we trust in Jesus we will remain loyal to Him. In John 8:31-32, Jesus said this: “If you hold to My teaching you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” And in John 15:4, He says “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”
This is in stark contrast to simply stating we believe and failing to demonstrate that belief in the way we live. Many people who identify as Christians today say they believe in Jesus, yet they do not follow Christ.
Genuine Faith
And what is faith? The writer of Hebrews states, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1). This is not blind faith or naive faith. The same Greek word pistis is also translated as faith and literally means to “be persuaded.” For the believer, faith is “God’s divine persuasion” and can be distinct from belief, yet involving it.
It is our faith that is credited to us as righteousness, just as Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. He believed in God before he loaded up his donkey, but God tested him (Genesis 22:1-19). It wasn’t until Abraham was obedient, traveling three days, with plenty of time to contemplate and abort the mission to sacrifice his son Isaac. And finally, setting the wood on the alter along with his son, it was then that he passed the test and God credited his faith to him as righteousness.
You can believe in Jesus Christ and not be saved. In the eighth chapter of Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. In His explanation, He states many hear the word and believe it but don’t produce fruit because they are either shallow rooted, distracted by worldly values or deceived by Satan.
Luke 8:13 says, “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.” They believed but they lacked faith and were not saved. They didn’t lose their salvation because they did not have it in the first place. Salvation may be a gift, however we must be worthy of receiving the gift.
Faith and belief are not necessarily synonymous (although they can be). Faith endures through seasons of doubt, while belief can simply be something we accept as truth. I can say I believe in Plato without professing to have faith in him.
While there is no such thing as salvation through works, nominal faith is no better than no faith at all. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing” (John 14:12a), and in verse 15, He added, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” He didn’t say acknowledge Me and live as you please.
What He did say was, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39).
Belief is the vehicle that facilitates our faith. It is our repentance that demonstrates our faith. It is our obedience to the Holy Spirit dwelling within us as believers that signifies we have the faith. Its what sets true believers apart from pseudo believers.
Examine Yourself
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” If you profess belief in Christ, that profession will be tested to determine if you are a person of faith. So we ought to test ourselves before our hour of testing arrives, so that we may pass that test!
Matthew 3:8 records John the Baptist declaring, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” This assertion implies a process. In the same way that trees do not produce fruit overnight, Christians actively repent throughout their lives in obedience to the Spirit. This is explicated by Paul in Galatians 5:16-25.
If someone claims to believe in Jesus yet their life shows no signs of producing the fruit of the Spirit, their belief is not authentic and they do not have true faith. If someone identifies as a Christian and lives a life indistinguishable from secular citizens, their faith is counterfeit.
The fruit of the Spirit is synonymous with the fruit of obedience and defines our faithfulness to Christ. James 1:12 states, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those that love Him.”
Our perseverance in faith demonstrates the sincerity of our belief. While we cannot earn our salvation, grace is only bestowed upon those who truly believe. We are saved by grace – through faith. Salvation is sustained by sincerity.
